When the red-dressed woman first got in the car, everyone was on high alert, terrified she would reveal her true nature after boarding and devour them all in one bite.
Xu Xi was especially tense, as he was the only one who retained the memory of being stabbed to death by the supernatural old woman.
Fortunately, after getting in the car, the red-dressed woman sat quietly to the side without any unusual movements.
[Sitting in the same car as a supernatural being, how thrilling]
[Got to admit, these players are really brave]
[The supernatural being didn't go berserk after getting in the car, seems their choice was temporarily correct]
Tan Xingyun quickly glanced in the rearview mirror—he never imagined he'd one day share an enclosed space with a supernatural being.
Exchanging a look with Xu Xiuman in the passenger seat, he pretended to be calm, cleared his throat, and asked, "Ahem, miss, where are you headed?"
Hearing this, the red-dressed woman immediately replied, "After entering the woods, go straight for about 600 meters, there's a fork in the road. Then turn right and go about two kilometers, there's a village. That's where I'm going."
"Alright then, I'll have to trouble you to keep an eye out ahead. This fog is so thick, I'm afraid I might miss the direction."
Although the route described by the red-dressed woman sounded simple, Tan Xingyun didn't let his guard down because of it, instead making the request.
"No trouble at all, if anything, I'm the one troubling you all. I really need to thank you, otherwise I wouldn't make it to this wedding banquet. I'm actually one of the bridesmaids." The red-dressed woman had a rather straightforward personality, chatting without any awkwardness. As she spoke, she couldn't help complaining about the previous driver, "He promised to take me to my destination, with just that little distance left, but he absolutely refused to go further. He wouldn't even take extra money. If I weren't worried about dirtying this new dress, I wouldn't have had to wait for a ride here."
"If you all hadn't been willing to give me a ride, I would have had to walk. Even if I made it in time, this dress would have been ruined." The red-dressed woman then seemed a bit annoyed, "I should have worn everyday clothes first and carried this dress in a bag. It's my first time being a bridesmaid, and I left in such a hurry that I didn't think of it. I never expected anything to happen on the way..."
The cramped space was filled with the woman's continuous chatter.
Although everyone else kept their eyes forward and no one responded, they were all unconsciously pricking up their ears to listen.
Xu Xi could feel Li Kang, who was pressed tightly against him, gradually relaxing as the woman chatted casually, his sitting posture no longer as rigid as before.
It had to be said, compared to the old woman earlier, this red-dressed woman was very lively and gave off a much stronger sense of being a living person. At least at this moment, he was wavering.
Could it be that she was a human NPC?
The driver who abandoned her halfway that she mentioned also sounded like an ordinary human, exactly the kind of scenario where someone accidentally encounters a supernatural passenger, senses something wrong, and decisively flees.
Since the God Hunt game descended, various countries have conducted investigations.
But to this day, it's still uncertain whether some human-like NPCs in the instances are actually living people.
For example, the driver mentioned by the red-dressed woman—there are many NPCs in different instances who are indistinguishable from ordinary humans. If these NPCs were placed in the real world, undoubtedly no one would doubt their authenticity.
However, within the instances, it's hard to say.
Some countries have also proposed that the God Hunt game's locations are actually worlds similar to Blue Star, just filled with various supernatural beings, and the instances players experience are fragments of these worlds.
Currently, this theory has the most supporters.
"Aiya!"
Just as Xu Xi's thoughts were wandering further and further, he heard the red-dressed woman exclaim in surprise.
Li Kang was even startled enough to tremble.
Tan Xingyun also instinctively hit the brakes.
Xu Xiuman immediately scanned their surroundings, but all she could see was the lingering white fog.
She asked calmly, "What's wrong?"
The red-dressed woman rolled down the window, leaned out to look, and said, "Uncle, you've veered off course!"
Hearing this, Tan Xingyun was shocked.
He hadn't noticed at all that he was driving off course.
According to his senses, he was certain he had been driving straight the whole time.
But the red-dressed woman said he had deviated from the direction...
Xu Xi also leaned forward to look ahead.
The trees on both sides were lush and green, the wilderness between them covered with weeds and fallen leaves. Visually, they were indeed going straight without error.
Was the red-dressed woman misleading them, or were their senses being deceived?
"Uncle, you've drifted about one meter to the left. Drive a bit to the right now."
"This..." Tan Xingyun's eyes showed hesitation.
Directly ahead to the right were clearly several thick, sturdy trees. If he followed the red-dressed woman's directions, the car would crash into one of them.
Xu Xiuman subtly gave him a look.
Understanding her meaning, Tan Xingyun let out a breath and slowly drove toward the right front.
Li Kang wanted to say something to Xu Xi, but remembering the supernatural being was right beside him, he obediently closed his mouth.
Xu Xi, however, stared intently at the vehicle's path. When he saw the car was about to hit a large tree, he couldn't help but clench his fists.
Yet what happened next took all four of them by surprise.
The car didn't crash into the tree.
The trees seemed to move as if shifting along with the vehicle's deviation, the distance between them and the car never changing from beginning to end.
Seeing this, everyone's expressions shifted slightly.
So their senses were indeed being misled!
[Holy moly, who wouldn't get lost in this!]
[Thinking you're going straight, but all the reference points around are deceiving you]
[If they didn't have the red-dressed woman constantly reminding them, the players would definitely get lost in these woods]
"That's good, keep going straight now. We'll reach the fork soon."
The red-dressed woman seemed unconcerned with everyone's reactions. Seeing the vehicle was back on track, she continued chatting about daily trivial matters as if nothing had happened.
Only Xu Xiuman occasionally responded softly in the car.
Xu Xi slowly withdrew his gaze.
It seemed their decision to let the red-dressed woman in the car was correct. Otherwise, they would have been trapped in an impenetrable forest they could never escape.
He just didn't know if there were other dangers in these woods besides this.
During this nerve-wracking time, the passage of time felt like it had been slowed down for all four of them.
Along the way, the red-dressed woman would periodically have Tan Xingyun adjust their direction slightly.
Even though the distance to the destination the red-dressed woman mentioned wasn't very far, Xu Xi still felt like a long time had passed.
Finally—
"We're here, we're here! We're about to exit the woods! The village is right ahead!"
Accompanied by the red-dressed woman's delighted voice, everyone's spirits lifted, and they all looked forward.
The white fog seemed to have dissipated somewhat now, and they could vaguely see the edge of the forest.
Excellent!
As the car drove out of the dense forest, the atmosphere in the live stream comments also relaxed considerably.
[Seems the only danger in these woods was making players get lost]
[But the danger from the red-dressed woman isn't over yet. That village definitely looks suspicious]